Vancouver: A Scenic Oasis

The Mountains of Vancouver

For any new tourist to the striking city of Vancouver, the mountains are an experience that must not be missed. The mountains around Vancouver are not only a visible delight on a bright sunny day but are also a great place to spend the day deep in adventure. In the winter months, many local people as well as tourists head up into the mountains for a refreshing day of skiing or snowboarding. Local slopes include Cypress Mountain and Mount Seymour. For an escape from the city head up to Whistler- Blackcomb and enjoy the mountains along with the local shops and restaurants that make up the quaint town of Whistler Village. In the summer months the mountains still offer great adventure, whether it’s camping in Sasquatch Provincial Park or sweating up a storm on the Grouse Grind trail on Grouse Mountain.

Over the history of Vancouver, new comers and natives alike have fallen in love with the beauty and majesty of the mountains. Authors cannot resist including the images of the mountains in their writings. Ethel Wilson, a South African immigrant to Canada, wrote in her novel The Innocent Traveller, “’The Lord doeth wonderful things,’ marvelled the Grandmother gazing up at the mountain peaks” (Wilson, 106). Pauline Johnson, half Mohawk and half English, wrote in her native tale called The Two Sisters, “[T]he slanting rains festoon scarves of mist about their crests, and the peaks fade into shadowy outlines, melting, melting, for ever melting into the distances” (Johnson, 12). Vancouver and it’s a mountains are a scenic oasis for all. If your planning a to visit this wonderful city don’t forget your camera and some extra film!

Johnson, Pauline. The Two Sisters. “Vancouver Short Stories” Ed. Carole Gerson. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1985.

Wilson, Ethel. The Innocent Traveller. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1990.